MovieChat Forums > Wuthering Heights (1939) Discussion > WHAT Exactly Did Cathy Die From, At The ...

WHAT Exactly Did Cathy Die From, At The Sad Ending?

posted 14 years ago by barryfleckmann
19 replies | jump to latest

On her deathbed, Cathy seemed to be in perfect health.

"You can't HANDLE the truth!" Jack Nicholson, "A Few Good Men."

[–] bill3-1 14 years ago

Depression and other emotional problems, people died from that back then apparently, I've also heard or read that Cathy had "brain fever".

[–] barryfleckmann 14 years ago

I "Googled" the question on The Internet, and the answer I received (from people who read the book, apparently) is that Cathy died in childbirth. It's interesting, but I don't recall THAT being in the plotline of the movie, at all.
Interesting, also, is that Melanie Wilkes, in "Gone With the Wind," which was shown later on Turner Classic Movies, tragically dies in childbirth, too, but I don't recall THAT being in the plotline of that movie, either. Either I'm suffering from dementia, or I tend to doze-off during movies!!

"You can't HANDLE the truth!" Jack Nicholson, "A Few Good Men."

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] Mayesgwtw39 12 years ago

"Interesting, also, is that Melanie Wilkes, in "Gone With the Wind," which was shown later on Turner Classic Movies, tragically dies in childbirth, too, but I don't recall THAT being in the plotline of that movie, either."

Yes, it's mentioned in the movie--Melanie comforts Rhett after Scarlett's miscarriage by telling him Scarlett can conceive again and tells him that she's having a baby herself.
He begs her not to, since it's been stated that she is not strong enough for childbirth a second time.

[–] barryfleckmann 12 years ago

"Melanie comforts Rhett after Scarlett's miscarriage by telling him Scarlett can conceive again and tells him that she's having a baby herself."

She did? I completely missed that! Cathy's death in "Wuthering Heights" came out of the blue, though, no?

NOTICE TO MITT ROMNEY: A BAD DAY FREELOADING, IS BETTER THAN A GOOD DAY AT WORK.

[–] Mayesgwtw39 12 years ago

Yes, I don't think Cathy's malady is clear in "WH".

The dialogue in GWTW between Rhett and Melanie is:

Melanie: There, there. Scarlett's going to get well and there can be other babies.

Rhett: No, she couldn't even if she wanted to, after what she's been through.

Melanie: But of course she could. I'm going to.

Rhett: No, Miss Melly, you mustn't risk it. It's too dangerous.

Melanie: Children are life-renewing itself, Capt. Butler...and when life does that, danger seems very unimportant.

Rhett: I've never before known anyone who was really brave.I pray God things go well with you, Miss Melly.

[–] barryfleckmann 12 years ago

Thank you!! I gotta' stop taking pee breaks during THAT portion of the movie. Either that, or learn HOW to use the pause control. Again, thank you!!

NOTICE TO MITT ROMNEY: A BAD DAY FREELOADING, IS BETTER THAN A GOOD DAY AT WORK.

[–] VStarkwell 14 years ago

I was under the impression that after the night she spent in the rain and got sick , her immune system became very weak and left her in a general state of poor health. The stress from Heathcliff having married Isabella was enough to weaken her further. But the doctor did say that she lost the will to live and wanted to die.

[–] bill3-1 14 years ago

I was under the impression that after the night she spent in the rain and got sick , her immune system became very weak and left her in a general state of poor health. The stress from Heathcliff having married Isabella was enough to weaken her further. But the doctor did say that she lost the will to live and wanted to die.

Except you can't/don't get sick from being cold and wet, except if you're a female in a Hollywood movie, and only in movies can you die from "losing your will to live, and inviting death", maybe there should be a technical medical term for it like "Hollywood Ingénue Ingenuine Syndrome"?

[–] sandrasguy 14 years ago

Medically, people do die from a broken heart. They literally lose the will to live. It happens.

[–] jschillig 14 years ago

The earlier posts are right in a way...in the novel, it was indeed childbirth that killed Cathy, combined with general ill health from her stress over the situation with Heathcliff. (In the book, she has a gigantic argument with Edgar over Heathcliff, during which Edgar clobbers Heathcliff; he runs off with Isabella the next day and Cathy spends the next few days starving herself. All of which contributes to her run-down state of health.)

The child she gives birth to, also named Catherine, becomes a central character in the book's second half.

But since this version cut that second half out, Cathy's death is palmed off on "fever and inflammation of the lungs...and the will to die," as Dr. Kenneth puts it. In short, a catch-all Victorian Novel Disease.

(Symptoms of Victorian Novel Disease: a slow and graceful wasting away with plenty of time for tear-jerking deathbed speeches. Does not in any way affect the patient's appearance; rather, patient tends to look more beautiful the worse s/he gets. Also knows as Old Movie Disease. Subset: Italian Opera Disease, related to tuberculosis except with surprisingly little blood or other unpleasant symptoms. Despite being a disease of the lungs, has no effect on patient's ability to belt out a deathbed aria.)

[–] bill3-1 14 years ago

Love your diagnosis jschillig! If that's original you should copyright it!

[–] Delainadee 14 years ago

(Symptoms of Victorian Novel Disease: a slow and graceful wasting away with plenty of time for tear-jerking deathbed speeches. Does not in any way affect the patient's appearance; rather, patient tends to look more beautiful the worse s/he gets. Also knows as Old Movie Disease. Subset: Italian Opera Disease, related to tuberculosis except with surprisingly little blood or other unpleasant symptoms. Despite being a disease of the lungs, has no effect on patient's ability to belt out a deathbed aria.)

Simply fabulous. And so true!!

[–] snsurone 14 years ago

The Victorian Novel Disease was resurrected in the 1970's but was renamed the "Ali McGraws" after the never-explained demise of the heroines in LOVE STORY and other movies of the time.

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] ContessaTredieci 9 years ago

And the Award Goes to......JSCHILLIG for Best Disease Description of Golden Hollywood Movies!!

OMG! I was dying reading Old Movie & Italian Opera Disease!

[–] six-shooter-143-496521 10 years ago

Remember 150-200 years ago there was no immunisation or antibiotics.

[–] bootblack987 11 years ago

I was under the impression that after the night she spent in the rain and got sick , her immune system became very weak and left her in a general state of poor health.

Yes, maybe she suffered from hypothermia or something similar?

[–] joline61 11 years ago

She wanted to be married to a rich guy and to have the one she really loves be lonely and pine away for her for the rest of his days. She didn't get her way. So she pouted herself to death.